|
A Slinky is a coil-shaped toy, invented by mechanical engineer Richard James in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Slinkys come in various sizes, but are usually no larger than a grown adult's fist when compressed. The shape is a simple helix, or coil design, of a ribbon of material, originally metal. The Slinky is famous for its ability to "walk" down stairs as the coils stretch and reform as gravity moves them down each step. The Slinky is manufactured by James Industries in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. Commercials for the Slinky featured the memorable jingle "It's Slinky, it's Slinky, for fun it's a wonderful toy. It's Slinky, it's Slinky, it's fun for a girl and a boy."
Engineering uses One or (sometimes) two Slinkys used together can be used as the basis of a shortwave radio antenna. Amateur radio operators have even used them as transmitting antennas. More commonly, they can be used to demonstrate certain physical phenomena by analogy. For example, by bunching then releasing the coils at one end, a compression wave can be simulated. Popular culture | ||||||||
|
| |||||||||
 |
|
| |